Speaking and reading aid



Sept. 15, 1964 w. A. JOHNSON 3, 8

SPEAKING AND READING AID Filed Aug. 31, 1961 3 12 I '5 'n I I \l/ 16x 221s FIG! IIIIIH' FIGZ INVENTOR. WILLIAM A. JOHNSON LL-"flaw AT TORNEYUnited States Patent 3,148,461 SlEAKlNG AND READING AID William A.Johnson, 4143 N. Bartlett Ave, Milwaukee, Wis. Filed Aug. 31, 1961, Ser.No. 135,178 3 (Zlaims. (Cl. 35-62) My invention relates to speaking andreading aids, and more particularly to a mobile unit adaptable toclassrooms or the like.

The prime object of my invention is to provide a device that comprisesan adjustable mirror and chalk-board.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device that comprises anadjustable mirror and chalk-board. Another object of my invention is toprovide a device that is rotatably mounted, and may be moved to anyconvenient location and adjusted to any pre-determined angle, forefficiency in its function and performance.

Still another object is to construct the device, so that it may beequipped with an angularly disposed shelf, for the support of openbooks, illustrations, charts, or the like.

A further object is to provide a device of the character described, thatis a self-contained unit, having all component parts and features,conveniently assembled, to permit ease in its manipulation, andefiiciency in its function.

It is manifest to anyone familim with the art of speech correction, aswell as public speaking, or the theatrical art, that it is imperative,to not only spell the words correctly, but also to assure the correctpronunciation thereof. This is true with adults as well as children ofall sizes and ages. The device illustrated, described, and claimedherein is especially adaptable for use by teachers of speech correction,the deaf and hard of hearing, for children afflicted with braininjuries, or cerebral palsy, or the like, inasmuch as it is equippedwith a chalk-board on one side, to permit application of the words beingtaught, and a mirror on the other side for visible reflection of thefacial features when pronouncing the Words. Furthermore the ability torotate the supported mirror and chalk-board enables the user to readilymanipulate it at any angle so that it can be suitable for use in givingtherapy to people of any height.

Also, the unit has an angularly disposed shelf extending longitudinallyacross it to support open books, flash cards, therapy pictures andillustrating material.

Another feature of the unit is that it has rotatably mounted casterswhich provide a ready means for moving the unit to any portion orlocation of a room.

The device is simple in construction, easy to manipulate, and highlyefficient for the purpose for which it is intended.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent asthe description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the drawing inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device, showing the framesupporting the mirror and chalk-board in an inclined position, therebymaking the device suitable for a small child to see their reflection inthe mirror.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the assembled device,showing its adjusted positions in phantom.

FIGURE 3 is a similar view of the device as shown in FIG. 1, with thechalk-board toward the front, and the frame in a vertical position.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View of one end of the device.

Referring to the drawing in which similar characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts through the several views, a rectangularassembly 10 having a channelled frame 11 is shown. The frame may beconstructed of Wood, metal, plastic or the like and it is employed as aperipheral border around a mirror shown as 12, and a sheet ofchalk-board 13. In order that fastening means can be used with myassembly for supporting illustrations or the like in a bulletin boardmanner, the surface of the chalk-board can be provided with a sheet ofmaterial 14, such as cork or the like. The sheet of material 14 may beattached to the chalk-board 13 with an adherent agent, or in any otherconvenient and practical manner. The assembly 11) is pivotally attachedto a pair of vertical standards 16 and 16' by a pair of threaded wingheaded screws 15, said standards being held in position by a horizontalbrace 17 attached thereto, by such means as the angle irons 18.

Although my invention is illustrated and described as having arectangular assembly comprising a mirror surface on one side and achalkboard on the other, 1 contemplate that my invention should alsoinclude an assembly of any shape which has an image producing surfaceother than a mirror cooperating with any type of writing surface insteadof merely a chalk-board. Also, I contemplate that my invention can havean assembly which can be rotatably mounted in a number of known ways.

As clearly seen from FIG. 4, the wing headed screws protrude through thestandards 16 and 16' and threadedly engage portions of the channel frame11 to support the assembly 19 so that it can be rotated or held in apredetermined position. With the illustrated relationship of the wingheaded screws to the assembly 10, it can be seen that rotating the wingheaded screws in one direction will cause the standards 16 and 16' toexert pressure on the assembly 1% to keep the assembly in one position.On the other hand, rotating the screws in a difierent direction willlessen the pressure on the assembly, thereby enabling one to rotate thesame.

Therefore when the Wing headed screws 15 are rotated to a position wherethey do not exert pressure on the standards, the assembly 19 can berevolved until the mirror 12 therein faces the user at an angle whichpermits a perfect reflection when observing the facial features andexpressions during the pronunciation of words. After optimum conditionsfor reflection are reached, the wing headed screws 15 can be tightenedto exert pressure on the standards, thereby retaining the assembly 16 inone position.

Also, by pivoting the Wing headed screws 15 to a position where theycause the standards to exert pressure on the assembly 10, thechalk-board 13 can be retained in a vertical position while letters orwords are inscribed thereon.

The bottom ends of the standards 16 and 16' are equipped with legportions 19 and 19' respectively, the leg portions being provided withrotatably mounted cas ters 213 that permit the entire unit to be movedin any direction.

There is an inclined shelf 21 shown angularly disposed and attached at22 to the vertical standards 16 and 16. This shelf 21 is convenientlydisposed so that it may be employed for supporting open books, cards, orthe like.

My device is simple in construction, easy to manipulate, yet it ishighly efficient for the purpose intended, and although I have shown aspecific construction and arrangement of the component partsconstituting the invention, I am fully cognizant of the fact that manychanges in the form, shape, contour and arrangement of the componentparts may be made without effecting their operativeness, and I reservethe rights to make such changes without departing from the spirit of myinvention, or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. An improved speaking and reading aid comprising: a rectangularassembly having a mirror surface on one side thereof and a writingsurface on the other side thereof in opposed relationship with saidmirror surface, and a pair-of vertical standards disposed on each sideof said assembly and having a pair of Wing headed screws protrudingtheretlirough, said screws each threadedly engaging said assembly atapproximately the middle thereof, said screws being adapted to enablesaid assembly to be rotated to a preselected position and retained insaid preselected position, said standards having a supporting shelfmounted therebetween and conveniently disposed for supporting books orthe like for the user of said aid, said standards having a plurality ofrotatably mounted casters fastened thereto at the bottom thereof,whereby said speaking and reading aid may be moved to any convenientposition and have its rectangular assembly rotated to a preselectedposition and retained there in order to permit actual application on thewriting surface of the words being taught through visible reflection offacial features before pronouncing the words in front of said mirror.

2. An improved speaking and reading aid comprising: a rectangularassembly having a mirror surface on one side thereof and a chalk-boardon the other side thereof in opposing relationship with said mirrorsurface, and a pair of vertical standards disposed on each side of saidassembly and having a pair of wing headed screws protrudingtherethrough, said screws threadedly engaging said assembly atapproximately the middle thereof, said screws being adapted to enablesaid assembly to be rotated to a preselected position and retained insaid preselected position, said standards having a supporting shelfmounted therebetween and conveniently disposed for supporting books orthe like for the user of said device, said standards having a pluralityof rotatably mounted casters fastened thereto at the bottom thereof,whereby said assembly can be rotated to a preselected position andretained there in order that said assembly can be efficiently utilizedto permit actual application on the chalk board of the words beingtaught through visible reflection of facial features before pronouncingthe words in front of said mirror.

3. An improved speaking and writing aid as defined in claim 2 whereinsaid chalk-board has a cork like material associated therewith forsupporting illustrations or the like in a bulletin board manner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS323,350 McKenzie July 28, 1885 651,129 Becker June 5, 1900 789,152I-Iasbrouck May 9, 1905 799,253 Nichols Sept. 12, 1905 1,740,389 BrewerDec. 17, 1929 2,528,311 Hurley Oct. 31, 1950 2,651,852 Urbain Sept. 15,1953

1. AN IMPROVED SPEAKING AND READING AIR COMPRISING: A RECTANGULARASSEMBLY HAVING A MIRROR SURFACE ON ONE SIDE THEREOF AND A WRITINGSURFACE ON THE OTHER SIDE THEREOF IN OPPOSED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAIDMIRROR SURFACE, AND A PAIR OF VERTICAL STANDARDS DISPOSED ON EACH SIDEOF SAID ASSEMBLY AND HAVING A PAIR OF WING HEADED SCREWS PROTRUDINGTHERETHROUGH, SAID SCREWS EACH THREADEDLY ENGAGING SAID ASSEMBLY ATAPPROXIMATELY THE MIDDLE THEREOF, SAID SCREWS BEING ADAPTED TO ENABLESAID ASSEMBLY TO BE ROTATED TO A PRESELECTED POSITION AND RETAINED INSAID PRESELECTED POSITION, SAID STANDARDS HAVING A SUPPORTING SHELFMOUNTED THEREBETWEEN AND CONVENIENTLY DISPOSED FOR SUPPORTING BOOKS ORTHE LIKE FOR THE USER OF SAID AID, SAID STANDARDS HAVING A PLURALITY OFROTATABLY MOUNTED CASTERS FASTENED THERETO AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF,WHEREBY SAID SPEAKING AND READING AID MAY BE MOVED TO ANY CONVENIENTPOSITION AND HAVE ITS RECTANGULAR ASSEMBLY ROTATED TO A PRESELECTEDPOSITION AND RETAINED THERE IN ORDER TO PERMIT ACTUAL APPLICATION ON THEWRITING SURFACE OF THE WORDS BEING TAUGHT THROUGH VISIBLE REFLECTION OFFACIAL FEATURES BEFORE PRONOUNCING THE WORDS IN FRONT OF SAID MIRROR.